Encouragement, Comfort, Fellowship, Tenderness, and Compassion

This is what we read this morning in family devotions:

Philippians 2:1-2:
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

What wonderful news to live in light of. We have encouragement from being united with Christ, we have comfort from his love, we have fellowship with the Spirit, and tenderness and compassion. This is what makes us like-minded with other believers, loving the same, one in spirit and purpose. Why doesn't it seem like it sometimes?

Well, here's the next two verses. Philippians 2:3-4:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

This is the practical outflow of the encouraging unity with Christ, comfort from his love, fellowship with his Spirit, and tenderness and compassion. A life void of selfish ambition or vain conceit, a life of humility and looking out for others' interests.

It looks like this:
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20).